Saheefa Jabbar Khattak faces heat for questioning her househelp’s charity spending

Model and actor Saheefa Jabbar Khattak took to Instagram to express her frustration over how her househelp spent money she had received through charity, sparking criticism for her remarks, which many labeled as 'classist' and 'entitled.'

In a detailed post, Saheefa shared that her mother was “furious” after seeing Instagram stories of their househelp shopping for herself after receiving financial aid.

Although the Beti actor initially reassured her mother, stating that the money belonged to the househelp and she had every right to spend it as she wished, she then proceeded to detail what was purchased, implying that the spending was excessive rather than modest.

Saheefa claimed that Rs50,000 was “a lot” for a middle-class family to sustain and listed the items her househelp bought, including an Rs8,000 bicycle and expensive clothes.

Expressing her disappointment, she stated that she would have preferred to personally buy essentials for her instead.

She further pointed out that her househelp lacked basic necessities, such as a proper bathroom and a leak-proof home, yet still chose to spend the charity money on what she deemed unnecessary items. She also mentioned the number of clothes she had already given her, questioning the need for more shopping.

Read: “I’m deeply disappointed in my country,” says Saheefa Jabbar over slow internet

Saheefa concluded her post by criticising what she called a culture of “overconsumption,” saying, “I feel like overconsumption has become such a cultural norm. Now I kind of feel bad, even though it was charity, and I firmly believe in giving.”

However, her comments triggered a wave of backlash on social media, with many accusing her of publicly humiliating her househelp and breaching her privacy. Users called out her tone, arguing that charity should not come with conditions and that she had no right to dictate how someone in need spends their aid.

In response to the criticism, Saheefa defended herself, claiming that her intent was to encourage financial responsibility. She also accused her detractors of hypocrisy, stating that many celebrities get paid to campaign for funds for the underprivileged, but no one talks about that. 

Saheefa further added that she simply spoke about financial responsibility, and people 'attacked' her.